NFL: 49ers vs Panthers recap

49ers QB Colin Kaepernick drops back for a pass. He was sacked a season-high six times Sunday.

Today was my very first time attending a San Francisco 49ers game at Candlestick Park. I was very impressed with the Niners fans. They were passionate and enthusiastic and made me proud to be a supporter. It was a tough 10-9 loss for the 49ers today. They led the entire way until a 53 yard field goal was made with 10 minutes left in the 4^th quarter. All I have to say about the Carolina Panthers is their front seven is dominant. Charles Johnson is an excellent pass rusher and Luke Kuechly is the real deal. He was all over the field with 11 tackles and had one of the biggest plays of the game breaking up a 30 yard pass on a seam to Vance McDonald. With that being said the 49ers lost this game today; the Panthers didn’t win it.

An issue that has plagued the 49ers offense for years reared its ugly head today: the inability to score touchdowns when they get into the redzone. The biggest play that stands out was the 4^th and 2 from the 3 when the 49ers took a delay of game and kicked a field goal. Jim Harbaugh said after the game that he didn’t feel 100% confident after the Vernon Davis and Garrett Celek injuries. He opted to take the safe option, but I am not sure it truly was. First off this team prides itself in its offensive line. They had run the ball well all first half and if they can’t get two yards then there may be some serious issues. If the offense doesn’t get the first or touchdown then the Panther’s offense has to play backed up. The Niners defense played great all day today. There is a very good chance that the 49ers will force a three and out and get the ball back with great field position. Of course hindsight is 20/20 and Harbaugh is right about 95% of the time, but in this case I think he made the wrong call.

This reminded me a lot of the Indianapolis Colts loss. The 49ers ran the ball extremely well in the first half. Frank Gore averaged 5.1 yards a carry, but only ran the ball four times in the second half. It has been very obvious this year that the offense cannot rely on Colin Kaepernick and the passing game. Kaep’s poor play today was a result of a few things. First, the Niners are in desperate need of a receiver that can stretch the field. The Panthers stuck 8 men in the box all day and forced the 49ers to try and beat them with a vertical passing game. The Niners could not answer the call. Secondly, the coaches need to make sure that the ball stays on the ground in the second half. The way this team attacks through the air is with play action pass plays. There were just a few to many drop back passes, which isn’t the Niners strong suit. Amd finally, Kaep needs to get rid of the ball earlier. He took a season high six sacks today. Part of that is due to the fact the receivers can’t get open but six sacks is too many. He needs to use his legs, the most dangerous weapon he has, to extend plays and get rid of the ball.

The 49ers defense excelled, but it’s offense couldn’t capitalize.

Anytime you lose by one point, it is tough to swallow. The loss puts the Niners two games behind the Seattle Seahawks and pretty much guarantees that the road to the super bowl goes through Seattle. The Niners have some serious issues they need to shore up, but hopefully they can get healthy first. They lost both Davis and Eric Reid to concussions and there was a slight scare with Mike Iupati. If the 49ers can get some of their weapons back; including a healthy Michael Crabtree (fingers crossed) they may make some noise come playoff time. Until then, it’s going to be a grind the rest of the way.